CNN Sends Jeffrey Lord Packing

Rhonda Adams

Political pundit Jeffrey Lord is out at CNN. Lord was a fixture during the Presidential campaign and after the election. As one of the most blatantly pro-Trump pundits in media, and one of only a few on CNN, Lord definitely carved out a niche.

His indefatigable defense of and support for then-candidate and now President Trump was unflagging, no matter what the headlines of the day happened to be. This often put Lord at odds, not only with other pundits but also with CNN’s top anchors who, at times didn’t seem willing to tolerate his consistent cheerleading. Lord was known for clashing with Van Jones and Anderson Cooper…and anyone else who dared criticize the President.

Now, that conflict has come to an end. And, once again, another high-profile name has fallen thanks to Twitter. In an exchange with a liberal activist, Lord tweeted out: “Sieg Heil!”

Now, it was clear to pretty much everyone that Lord wasn’t being serious. His comments were meant to not be taken seriously, as it was clear he was mocking the “liberal.” Of course, as explained by a CNN spokesperson: “Nazi salutes are indefensible … Jeffrey Lord is no longer with the network.” Lord did his best to stop the bleeding and get his job back, telling the media, “I love CNN, but I feel they are caving to bullies here…” He added that, while he “greatly respected CNN management,” he definitely disagreed with the decision.

Some are already saying this was CNN doing what they had wanted to do for a while. Lord was good for ratings during the campaign, but there was less need for such a staunch partisan now. Plus, his contract was up at the end of the year anyway.

Others are saying Lord’s outside work, and the conflicts he has stirred up with other media personalities, have become a distraction. A columnist for The American Spectator, Lord, has an ongoing feud with Media Matters for America President Angelo Carusone. These disputes have led Media Matters to condemn Lord on multiple occasions, even going so far as to criticize CNN for hiring him in the first place. In the Twitter spat that ended up costing Lord his job at CNN, Carusone claimed Lord was a liar. Lord fired back with a column for TAS, calling Media Matters “Fascists” and “anti- free speech bigots.”

Given this kind of extracurricular schoolyard nonsense, there may have been good reason for CNN to cut ties. They don’t need this kind of pundit infighting stealing the spotlight from their own messaging.

About the Author: Rhonda Adams is a New York based entrepreneur.